Dawn on Halcyon was like a gray filter applied to the whole world. The colony was waking up lazily, filling the air with the quiet hum of generators, the distant clatter of machinery and the first sounds of people heading off to their daily chores. In room number 12 of the "Aurora" motel, Alex got out of bed with such enthusiasm as if he was about to embark on an execution - his own.
He blinked, trying to play off the remnants of sleep, and reflexively reached for the under-drank bottle of bourbon standing on the cabinet. He stopped in mid-motion.
- Not today," he muttered to himself, putting the bottle back.
He sighed heavily, stretched and began gathering the things he needed for the expedition. He opened his only closet, which looked more like a metal storage unit, and began rummaging around inside. He pulled out a small, slightly scratched backpack, into which he threw a few essentials: a tool kit, some portable rations of questionable taste and nutritional value, and a handful of spare batteries.
At the very bottom of the closet, he found his old, reliable weapon - an energy pistol with a barely visible factory logo that had long since been obliterated by years of use. He checked the magazine, plugged in a new energy capsule and slipped the weapon into a holster that he strapped to his hip. Next to the weapon he found a small knife, as worn out as the rest of his belongings.
- You never know," he muttered, putting it in his backpack pocket.
He took a quick, icy shower, which set him on his feet better than any coffee, and shaved with a razor that crunched with effort on his bristles. After a moment's hesitation, he looked in the mirror, examining his face. A few small wrinkles near his eyes, traces of old scars - one of which crossed his cheek - and an expression of perpetual fatigue in his eyes.
- All right, old man, you look like a million credits," he chuckled to himself, before wiping himself off in a towel and returning to his room.
He opened the closet for the last time, at the bottom lay something that could hardly be called a cosmetic bag, but he decided to give it a try. He grabbed a tube of cream that might once have had the smell of the forest, but now looked more like old shoes, and spread the remnants on his face. He chose the best outfit he had - dark, sturdy pants with a few extra pockets, an olive-colored shirt and a jacket of thick, rugged material that had gone through more battles with him than he cared to remember. On his feet, he put on comfortable, if somewhat tattered, boots for walking in rough terrain.
When he was ready, he looked at his backpack, making sure everything he took would be needed.
- Well, we're off to another losing battle," he muttered, throwing his backpack over his shoulder and leaving the room.
He stood in front of Astra's door and knocked several times, hard enough to rouse her from her sleep, if she was still asleep.
- Get up, princess, it's time to move," he said, leaning against the door frame and looking down the narrow corridor.
The door opened after a few seconds, and Astra appeared in it dressed in a simple but elegant traveling outfit - a suit in a shade of steel gray, tailored and clearly suited for long treks. Her hair, though still slightly damp from the morning wash, was tied in a loose knot that accentuated her shapely neck and statuesque figure.
- I'm already ready," she said, looking at him. - I think you are too. You look ... better than last time.
He smiled slightly, squinting his eyes.
- Thanks. Maybe it's a remnant of my youthful beauty," he replied with sarcasm. - Ready for Red Harbor?
She nodded.
- Ready. But how exactly do we get there?
- Don't worry about that. I have a transport," he chuckled, moving toward the exit. - You know, one of those marvels of Halcyon technology that barely stays on its wheels. But at least it has an engine.
She followed him, ready for the first leg of their trip together.
In the yard behind the motel, surrounded by containers and piles of scrap metal, stood a vehicle that Alex proudly called "transport." It was an old, lightly armored off-roader on six massive wheels, with armor covered with remnants of blue paint that looked more like stains than a uniform color. The vehicle had a high suspension, a front bumper reinforced with metal bars and headlights that looked like they had survived more battles than he had.
She looked at the terrain with a mixture of skepticism and concern.
- Is it supposed to take us to Red Harbor? - She asked, raising her eyebrows.
- It has a name, you know? - he replied, patting the vehicle on the side until dust sprinkled from the interior. - "The Old Guard. It's not beautiful, but it's durable.
She wrinkled her nose as he opened the driver's door, and the smell of burnt oil and something unspecified that resembled wet material left in the sun hit her nostrils.
Inside, it was cramped but functional. The two seats in front were lined with old, frayed fabric, and there was luggage space in the back. The console in the middle had lots of buttons, most of them illegibly described or marked with vulgar comments from previous owners.
He threw his backpack in the back, pointed to the Astra's passenger seat and got behind the wheel.
- Jump in, princess. This is the best we have.
She sat down carefully, buckled her belt and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
- At the very least, it looks like it could drive through a nightmare.
- Because he drove," he replied with a smile, turning the key in the ignition. - Well, here we go.
The engine growled with effort, spewing a cloud of exhaust fumes that rose over the metal road. Holding the steering wheel with one hand, he glanced at the gauges, which for years had been more of an ornament than a source of reliable information. He sat next to her, strapped in, staring through the dusty windshield at the landscape that stretched before them.
The off-roader left the motel parking lot, passing rusting machinery and dilapidated buildings. The colony was waking up to life - people were going to work in the mines, workers were repairing damaged cranes, and children were running between houses, laughing amid the dust and noise. The town's main street was narrow, lined with metal plates that had become covered with rust over time.
He drove with skill, dodging puddles of oil and slow-moving transport vehicles. She watched everything from the window, seeing the life of the colony up close - harsh, chaotic, but somehow full of energy.
The road leading out of the town was something like a makeshift trail - gouged by truck wheels and framed by stones to act as markers. As one moved away from the buildings, the terrain became more rugged. Instead of buildings and mine machinery, there was space - vast, boundless space that seemed as distant as the moons of Halcyon.
The ground was dry and cracked, in places covered with low, twisted grasses that moved slightly in the wind. The grasses on Halcyon were quite different from those she knew from Vellis. Windrows, as the locals called them, moved in the wind, creating waves that looked as if the entire plain was breathing. Their spiraling leaves reflected the morning light, giving the landscape a soft, shimmering glow.
- Is that all that grows here? - She asked, breaking the silence.
He smiled slightly, not taking his eyes off the road.
- More is not needed. If you were a grass, you wouldn't be crazy here either. The land here doesn't have much to offer.
Among the grasses were groups of Blood Ruby, shrubs with intense red leaves. She noticed that butterflies were squatting on some of them - not ordinary butterflies, but huge ones resembling Sapphire Grizzlies, whose wings shimmered with gold dust.
In the distance she could see rock formations - slender, twisted like the hands of old men, with dark bands of minerals crisscrossing their surface. She was under the impression that these rocks resembled frozen waves, frozen in motion millions of years ago, but he explained to her half-jokingly that they were "monuments" left by old miners who died of boredom.
The fauna, though rare, seemed perfectly suited to this harsh world. Crossing the road, with typical slowness, were Humpbacked Grasshoppers - horse-sized creatures that looked like a cross between a goat and a camel with long, curly necks and fur resembling dried grass. Their eyes, huge and gleaming, seemed to watch the vehicle with unabashed curiosity before they refocused on plucking the Windbows.
- They are calm as long as you don't irritate them," he noted, glancing at one of them that seemed to ignore the presence of humans. - But if one decides you're a threat, you'd better run.
At one point, she noticed movement in the shadows of one of the larger rock formations. It was a group of Scarlet Jumpers, small animals with slender bodies and fur a shade of dark red, moving with surprising speed, jumping from place to place.
- Quick, clever, but harmless," he chuckled, seeing her interest. - Well, unless you have something edible in your backpack. Then they won't let go.
From time to time, they spotted animals on the plains - a herd of Grasshoppers, moving slowly, nibbling on the Windbows. In the distance, near the edge of the woods, in turn, she spotted a few Peat Dogfish, watching their vehicle from a safe distance.
In places, groves of Needle Trees appeared on the horizon - plants resembling a cross between cacti and pines, with needles so long that they could be seen from a distance. Their bark, glossy and black, seemed to absorb the light, creating shadowy islands around them.
- True wonders of nature," he chuckled with a hint of irony. - They grow slowly, die even more slowly. Perfect for this planet.
The vehicle rolled steadily on the uneven pavement. He was silent most of the way, focused on driving, but occasionally dropped brief remarks about the passing terrain. Fascinated by the landscape, Astra absorbed every detail, although in her thoughts kept swirling with images of the maps and plans she had seen at night.
- How much longer are we going to go? - She finally asked, looking at him.
- Two days, maybe a little less, if the "Old Guard" doesn't decide to fall apart halfway," he replied with a slight smile, tapping the dashboard.
The wind blew steadily, lifting particles of sand that formed low, swirling columns among the rocks. She watched as these small storms moved across the landscape, like ghosts of past storms that once turned this world into what it is today.
- Are you saying that people live here? - She asked, looking at the wasteland, which seemed almost devoid of life.
- People live everywhere," he replied with a quiet sigh. - Sometimes not because they want to. Sometimes it's because they have no choice.
They were silent for a while as the "Old Guard" hopped along the rough road. Gazing at the horizon, she had the impression that this place, though harsh and unforgiving, had a strange kind of beauty - a beauty that existed in spite of everything.
Alex glanced at the map displayed on a small screen on the dashboard.
- Red Harbor is still about a day and a half away," he said, turning to face Astra for a moment. - Get ready, because what you see now is the best part of this trip anyway. It will only get worse further on.
His words hung in the air as the vehicle entered another stretch of sandy road that seemed endless.
He pressed the gas pedal, and the "Old Guard" responded with a clunk and growl, as if the engine was expressing its loud objection to such treatment. The vehicle accelerated, and the dry air, coming in through leaks in the doors, filled the interior with the smell of burnt metal and heated sand.
Astra, sitting next to her, turned her eyes away from the monotony of the landscape and looked up through the dusty glass. The sky of Halcyon stretched above them like a vast, almost infinite canopy, dominated by a deep shade of blue, interspersed with bands of white, slender clouds. As the vehicle picked up speed, the clouds seemed to glide slowly across the sky, giving the whole thing a dreamy dynamic feel.
Two Halcyon suns could be seen on the horizon - one larger, glowing an intense white, and the other, smaller, with an orange glow, which seemed to gaze at the planet with lazy indifference. The heat radiated from them in an omnipresent but not overwhelming way - the temperature was high but dry, as if the air had not a hint of moisture in it, making every breath like drawing in hot sand.
- You know what I don't like about such places? - she threw suddenly, still staring at the sky.
He glanced at her, however, without taking his hands off the steering wheel.
- What, the princess?
- That everything seems so.... unreal. - She pointed to the visible two suns. - It's as if someone created this place on short notice, forgetting that people have to live here.
He snorted with laughter, inhaling smoke from a cigarette he had recently fired up.
- Halcyon is not a place to live. It's a place where people get bogged down because they have nowhere else to go. Only industrial robots seem to feel at home here. We? We are here temporarily.
The air, though dry, was surprisingly light, almost transparent, allowing her to see distant rock formations that would normally be lost behind fog or smog. She looked at those distant, rusty peaks, which shimmered with copper and iron hues in the harsh light of day.
The wind, stirred up by the speed of the vehicle, streaked the windows and sent gentle vibrations along the body. She brushed back her hair, which, despite the tight bun, had begun to slip out of control.
- It looks like the air here is trying to be kind to us," she noted, turning toward Alex.
- Halcyon? Gracious? - he cast a look full of disbelief. - Princess, the air here may be better than what you have on Earth outside the domes, but don't be fooled. It's just an illusion. Stay in the sun for a day and you'll see how much it will "kindly" fry you.
Astra raised an eyebrow, but did not comment. Instead, she focused on the palpable tremor in the floor that was the result of the vehicle's acceleration.
- You know, I hope that this in your opinion reliable scrap does not decide to disintegrate in the middle of this plain.
- "The Old Guard has never let me down," he replied, with feigned seriousness. - Well, almost never. And even if, I always have a plan B.
- So? - She asked curiously.
- Run before something eats us.
A note of irony could be heard in his voice, but she wasn't sure if it was really a joke. Instead of pursuing the topic, she returned her gaze to the horizon, where the landscape had begun to change - the plains were giving way to rockier terrain, full of ravines and steep cliffs.
The road to Red Harbor was going to be a long one, but she already felt that every moment of this journey would be filled with new and raw impressions.
Alex led the "Old Guard" with the skill of someone who had seen more than one similar landscape. The road became less and less clear, as if time itself had decided to erase the traces that people had left on this land. Grassy plains slowly gave way to rockier, rougher areas, where the ground was cracked and faint trickles of steam rose from deep crevices - evidence of Halcyon's geothermal activity.
She watched it all with fascination. Her gaze stopped on a group of Grasshoppers that were moving slowly, nibbling on the remnants of the Windworms growing from the edges of the rocky shelves. The herd numbered perhaps ten - massive, heavy bodies moved with careful grace, and their thick, twisted horns reflected the light of the suns.
Everything seemed peaceful until she noticed movement in the shadow of one of the larger boulders. At first she thought it was just the wind moving some small stone, but then she saw a pair of eyes - yellow, intense, full of predatory focus.
- What is it? - She asked, pointing to a dark shape that was beginning to emerge from hiding.
He cast a glance in the direction she was pointing.
- Peat Dog," he said, as if he recognized an old acquaintance. - The local master of hunting. They don't usually attack people.... Unless they are hungry.
Before she had time to ask another question, she saw more dark silhouettes appear around the pack of Grasshoppers. The dog-like creatures moved almost silently, their slender, muscular bodies covered in gray-brown fur blending in with their surroundings. There were five, maybe six of them - they dashed zigzagging between the rocks, taking up strategic positions around the herd.
- They hunt," she said quietly, staring at the scene as if mesmerized.
- They hunt effectively," he added, slowing down the vehicle to get a better look at the spectacle.
One of the DOGS suddenly dashed to the front of the herd, causing panic. The grasshoppers began to bleat and flee in different directions, but that was only the beginning. The second predator fell out of hiding, cutting off the path of one of the younger individuals, who could not keep up with the rest.
- It's sick how well they do it," he commented, resting his elbow on the steering wheel.
Young Grasshopper roared, trying to turn back, but it was too late. Three Psowilki jumped simultaneously. One grabbed the animal by the leg, another by the side, and the third reached for the throat. The jerk was brutal, swift and definitive. She looked away, but the sound of tearing flesh and the triumphant howl of the predators still resounded in her ears.
- It's just nature, princess," he said, as if he read her mind. - Without it, this world would have no order.
She looked at him, still moved by the brutality of the scene she had witnessed.
- I didn't think it would be that much.... - she interrupted, searching for the right words.
- Direct? - He finished with a slight smile. - Well, nothing is gentle on Halcyon. Neither people nor animals. You live or die. Simple rules.
The dogfish began to tear apart their prey, and the rest of the pack of Grasshoppers had already disappeared over the crest of the hill. She watched the predators for a moment longer before sinking back into her seat.
- I thought life was difficult on Vellis," she said, more to herself than to him. - But here ... it's a completely different level.
He did not respond immediately. Instead, he pressed the accelerator, and the "Old Guard" moved forward again, leaving behind the image of a harsh nature in which survival was the only rule.
- Here no one promised an easy life," he finally said. - And if someone promised you, they lied.
They were moving away from the hunting ground, but Astra still had before her eyes the image of the young Grasshopper who had lost the battle for life. There was a faint smell of blood in the air, mixed with the hot wind that smeared their vehicle, reminding them that no one is safe on Halcyon.
The vehicle rattled on the uneven terrain, and the wheels of the "Old Guard" struggled to roll on the rocky road, which increasingly resembled a dried-up riverbed. The rocks became larger and more jagged, as if the planet itself wanted to show that here, in the heart of nothing, there is no room for comfort.
Rock formations were beginning to dominate the landscape, rising from the ground like grotesque statues carved by the forces of nature. They were strangely twisted, as if a constant battle between wind and time had been waged over the years. In some places they formed natural labyrinths, narrow passages and dead ends that looked as fascinating as they were dangerous.
Alex, seated behind the wheel, squinted, observing his surroundings with increasing tension.
- These rocks are something I don't want to drive through at night," he chuckled with a wince, then looked at Astra. - That's why we have to pass them before dark.
She looked at him, clearly sensing that there was more to his words than simple concern about travel conditions.
- Is there something specific hiding in these rocks? - She asked, trying to hide a hint of anxiety.
- Just anything that feels like eating us," he replied with irony, while gently speeding up. - And if it won't eat, at least try. The rocks are an ideal hiding place for predators. When it gets dark, they leave here like ghosts - and just as quickly return as soon as they hear the first shot. But I'd rather not take any chances.
As they approached the center of this rock labyrinth, the temperature began to drop, and the suns of Halcyon slowly descended on the horizon. The light changed to a more orange hue, and the long shadows of the rocks began to stretch out, merging into bizarre, almost surreal images.
She watched as smaller animals - Scarlet Jumpers and other, lesser-known species - scuttled between the boulders, as if also hurrying to find shelter from the coming night.
- And what is behind those rocks? - She asked, staring at a distant point on the horizon where the rocks seemed to give way to flatter terrain.
He extended his hand and pointed his finger in that direction.
- Bogs. Although the name is just a joke. There is no peat there," he said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. - Instead, it's full of scrub, wetlands and something that resembles a swamp, but instead of mud you have hard, cracked earth under a thin layer of water.
She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to imagine this strange terrain.
- So is it safer there?
He laughed briefly, in a way that was more like a snort.
- Safer? Maybe. But if you're too trusting, you'll fall up to your knees in the water, and then whatever lives there will treat you like a takeout dinner.
There was a moment of silence, during which she contemplated his words. She was beginning to understand that nothing was simple or predictable on Halcyon.
- But better bogs than these rocks," he added, shaking his head. - At least there you can see what can kill you.
She glanced at him with a slight smile, though a shadow of anxiety was visible in her eyes.
- A lovely place you chose for your trip," she chuckled, and a note of irony echoed in her voice.
- I did not choose them," he replied, taking a drag on his cigar. - It is it that chose us.
The off-roader hopped up a rocky hill, and Alex pressed the gas pedal harder, trying to accelerate. There were still miles of rocks ahead of them, and the sun was getting lower and lower on the horizon. She knew they had to hurry - a night on Halcyon was no place for dreamers.
"The Old Guard" wheezed harshly as he entered another particularly rough section. The wheels struggled to find traction on the loose stones, and the interior of the vehicle filled with an unpleasant rasp. The Astra clung to the handle above the door, trying not to jump up every time the off-roader fell into a pit.
As they traveled farther, the rocks began to give way to loose sand and small stones, which were arranged in even waves, resembling moving dunes. At first glance, the land seemed almost dead, but she noticed something different - small, solitary tufts of grasses that were beginning to grow out of the barren soil.
- It looks like we are leaving this stone hell," she chuckled, looking at the increasingly open landscape.
He glanced at her, then looked ahead, where the rocks were slowly disappearing, giving way to softer terrain.
- Yes, it's a sign that we are approaching the bogs," he said, loosening his grip on the handlebars a bit. - Although I'd still prefer those damn rocks to be completely behind us before nightfall.
The grasses, which had previously been sparse, almost invisible specks on the landscape, were now beginning to form more distinct clumps. Their thin, sharp blades moved gently in the wind, as if trying to welcome strangers into their realm. She stretched out her neck to take a closer look - the grasses had a strange texture, resembling both cobwebs and steel threads at the same time, which seemed surprisingly resistant to harsh conditions.
The first larger plants began to appear on the horizon - shrubs with twisted branches, with leaves covered in a thin layer of wax. In their shade she noticed something that resembled small flowers, intensely red, almost glowing in the glare of the setting sun.
- What are these plants? - She asked, pointing to individual bushes that were beginning to form something like a grove in the distance.
- They are Waxwoods," he replied, squinting his eyes to get a better look at their shapes. - They live a long time, but grow slowly. Their leaves are so hard that some animals would break their teeth on them. But for us, this is a good sign. It means that the bogs are close.
As the terrain became softer and covered with more vegetation, she took her foot off the gas. She saw the ground in the distance change color - from a harsh brown to a darker shade, almost black.
- Is this a bog already? - She asked, pointing to the strange area.
- That's what they call them, but it's more a play on words than anything else," he replied, glancing at her. - You know, something that sounds less threatening than "a wetland full of hidden holes that you can fall into and never come out again."
She laughed briefly, but there was a note of concern in her voice.
- So do we need to be careful?
- Caution is the key, princess," he chuckled, smiling slightly. - But for now, we need to find a good place to stop. At night, even the Waxwoods don't look so friendly.
The sun was slowly setting and the light was getting warmer, casting long shadows over the landscape. The vehicle rolled slowly through terrain that became wilder and wilder with each kilometer , but at the same time full of life - the same life that could be both beautiful and deadly.
The marshes finally appeared before them in their entirety. The landscape seemed both wild and unusually orderly - the dark, shiny ground, interspersed with shallow puddles, stretched to almost infinity, and in places grew clumps of tall grasses, shrubs and lone, twisted Waxwood trees. Some of them were large enough to cast shadows even now that the suns had almost disappeared behind the horizon.
He slowed down, steering the vehicle toward one of the larger clusters of trees that resembled a small grove. Their thick, rough trunks looked sturdy, and the branches formed something like a natural vault that could provide at least minimal protection from the wind.
- It'll be fine here," he muttered, stopping the "Old Guard" and shutting off the engine, which continued to grunt for a while before falling completely silent.
Astra got off first, taking careful steps on the uneven, damp ground. The air was heavier than it had been before - it had a strange metallic aftertaste that resembled the smell of freshly dewy iron. There was silence all around, broken only by the gentle rustling of the wind and the occasional splash of water somewhere in the distance.
- Do you think it's safe here? - She asked, looking at her surroundings with clear caution.
- Safer than in the rocks, but we still have to be on guard," he replied, removing his backpack from the vehicle. - In this place you never know what is watching you.
He walked up to one of the larger trees and banged his fist on the trunk. The sound was deafening but solid, which seemed to satisfy Alex.
- This will do," he muttered, opening his backpack and pulling out a folding military frame tent. It was a simple but extremely practical model - the titanium frames unfolded quickly, creating a structure that could be attached to a tree trunk, ensuring stability even in difficult conditions.
She watched as he deftly unfolded the tent, attaching it to the tree with sturdy ropes and hitches. Within minutes, a small but sturdy structure was in place that could accommodate two people and protect them from the wind and rain.
- Done," he said, straightening up and looking at his creation. - A tent is a staple, but if you want to survive the night in the bogs, you need something else.
He walked to the nearest spot where the ground was a bit drier, and began picking up branches that lay nearby. Waxwoods had dry, oily bark that burned quickly and for a long time, making them ideal material for a campfire. After a few minutes, he had enough fuel to light a small but steady flame.
The fire was lit, casting a warm, trembling light on the trees around them. She sat down on one of the flat stones, that she had brought to create something like makeshift seats.
- Tell me," she began, looking at him through the flames, "do you always know what you are doing?
He smiled crookedly, tossing another branch into the fire.
- Not always, princess. But sometimes it's enough to make you look like you know.
She let out a quiet laugh, though her gaze remained alert. Silence reigned around them, but they both knew that the bogs were never as quiet as they seemed. In the distance, almost at the edge of hearing, there was a quiet, deep sound - something between a roar and a murmur. She froze, looking in the direction from which it came.
- What was that? - She asked, looking at him with concern.
- Whatever it is, I hope it's not hungry," he replied, pulling a pistol from his holster and placing it on the ground beside him. - The bogs have their secrets, and we'd better not become one of them.
The fire crackled lazily, casting a warm light on their faces, while the darkness of night increasingly enveloped the bogs. There was a distinctive smell of Waxwood in the air - slightly sweet, but with a sharp, woody note that reminded her of burning paper and resin. She stared at the flames, as if searching in them for answers to questions she hadn't even asked.
- So... - spoke up first, breaking the silence. - You mentioned something about Vellis earlier. Tell me, where is it? Because I don't associate that name with any of the planets I know.
She froze for a moment, wondering how to answer. She knew that the truth sounded too improbable, but at the same time lying seemed inappropriate here. Finally, she shrugged her shoulders and sighed.
- Vellis is... my home. - She looked at him, and there was a mixture of nostalgia and anxiety in her eyes. - A planet you've never heard of, because its inhabitants have made sure it remains a secret.
Alex raised an eyebrow, reaching for his meniscus.
- A mysterious planet, you say? - He smiled slightly, but there was alertness in his gaze. - That sounds like something you don't see very often. And what's so special there?
She hesitated, then turned her gaze toward the horizon, where the outline of the trees was barely visible in the darkness.
- Calm down," she said quietly. - On Vellis everything is ... orderly. People live long, without conflict, focus on knowledge and development. We don't have... - She paused for a moment, as if searching for the right words. - We don't have what you have here. Chaos.
He laughed under his breath as he unscrewed the bourbon meniscus, from which rose an odor that would have awakened a corpse.
- Chaos, you say? - he extended the menagerie in her direction. - Well, chaos is, as you can see, my specialty. And this siuvax will help you get through the night. The temperature is about to drop, and drop hard. Would you like a sip?
She looked at the menagerie with clear skepticism.
- It doesn't look like something that.... I should drink.
- It's not a matter of "should" - he replied with a smile. - It's a question of "do you want to freeze?" At night on Halcyon, everything up to a meter above the ground is covered with frost. That's why the tent is in a tree, and you're drinking bourbon.
She took the meniscus, lifting it carefully to her lips. The first sip was like an explosion - sharp, burning and far too strong. She squirmed so violently that for a moment she looked as if she wanted to spit out the contents right away.
- This... it tastes like... - she broke off, trying to catch her breath. - Like something you should clean your engines with, not drink!
He burst out laughing, almost falling over backwards.
- Welcome to the colony, princess! - He chuckled, taking the menagerie back. - The bourbon here doesn't have to be good. It's supposed to work. And it does work.
Astra continued to catch her breath for a while, looking at him with a mixture of anger and disbelief.
- How do you drink it? - She asked, trying to control the burning sensation in her throat.
- Practice," he replied, smiling broadly. - After a few years you stop feeling the taste. You either get used to it or you die. Simple rules.
She looked at him, then turned her gaze back to the flames. The warmth of the fire eased the chill of the night, but he was right - the temperature had begun to drop rapidly, and a fine, silvery frost was beginning to settle on the ground around them.
- It's never cold on Vellis," she said, more to herself than to him.
- Well, here it is. And always at the least opportune moment," he replied, topping himself off with a bit of bourbon. - But you know what, no matter where you come from, you are here now. And here only those who can adapt to the chaos survive.
She looked at him, and there was a new spark of determination in her eyes.
- Then we'll see who will do better," she chuckled with a shadow of a smile.
He laughed briefly, raising the meniscus in a toasting gesture.
- Well, here's to survival, princess. And here's to chaos.
The fire crackled quietly as the night on the bogs surrounded them with ever thickening darkness.
She stared at the flames, as if trying to find the right words in them. She knew she had to be careful - he couldn't know the whole truth, at least not yet. She didn't trust him enough to reveal who he really was, but she felt that some explanation was necessary.
- I want to get to Earth, because.... that's where it all started," she said slowly, taking her eyes off the campfire and looking at him.
This one, leaning comfortably against a tree trunk, watched her from under squinted eyelids.
- Has it started? It sounds like you have something bigger in mind than simple nostalgia," he noted, turning the meniscus in his hand.
She smiled gently, trying to hide the tension.
- Maybe it's just curiosity. You know, the stories I've heard about Earth have always seemed.... different. They say it's a place full of contradictions. That it is beautiful and destroyed at the same time. - She was silent for a moment, as if wondering how far she could go. - On Vellis... where I come from, we are somewhat isolated. I've always wanted to see what life is like somewhere else.
He looked at her with interest.
- Isolated, you say? - He asked, squinting his eyes. - What is this colony that no one has heard of it? Because you sound like you're talking about some forgotten world at the end of the galaxy.
She shrugged her shoulders, trying to make her words light.
- Maybe it is. Vellis is not a place that invites strangers. We like peace, harmony. Everything is ... planned.
He parsed quietly, as if he understood something she was trying to hide.
- And you, I see, do not fit into this "plan" of theirs.
- Maybe not quite," she admitted, looking at him with a half-smile. - That's why I want to see what something else looks like. Earth... it sounds like the opposite of everything I know.
He nodded, raising the meniscus to his lips and taking the last sip of bourbon.
- The earth is everything and nothing at the same time," he stated with a note of melancholy in his voice. - Inside the domes - paradise. Outside them - a garbage dump. But one thing I must admit: there is no other place like it.
They were silent for a while, listening to the crackle of the fire. She felt Alex was thinking about something more, but she didn't want to push.
- You know what," he spoke up suddenly, straightening up. - Maybe I'm a sentimental idiot, but I understand why you want to fly there. Curiosity is a strange thing. Sometimes it leads us to hell, and sometimes to places we never even dreamed of.
He yawned protractedly, then stood up, stretching lazily.
- Okay, princess, it's time to sleep. If we are to reach Red Harbor tomorrow, we must be awake.
He glanced toward the darkness behind the trees, where night seemed to hide all the mysteries of the bogs.
- And before I go to sleep, I still have to.... get rid of the excess bourbon. You know, to keep the plumbing from leaking," he chuckled, pointing to the trees with a gesture.
She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, just led him away with her eyes as he walked off into the darkness. When he returned a few minutes later, he flashed her a brief smile and pointed to the tent.
- Well, come on, jump in. - He patted the titanium frame. - The temperature is dropping, and I don't feel like thawing your feet in the morning.
She entered the tent, feeling the chill of the night permeate everything that wasn't shielded by the fire. He closed the entrance behind them and sat down on one of the makeshift seats inside.
- You know, for a person from an isolated colony, you have quite a lot of ambition," he said with a smile that could mean anything.
Astra looked at him, feeling that the evening was not yet over - at least in terms of conversation.